The FIDE World Youth Chess Championships 2026 officially commenced yesterday at the magnificent Pala Dean Martin Congress Center in Montesilvano, Italy, bringing together hundreds of talented young players from around the globe for one of the most prestigious events on the international youth chess calendar.
The day began with the Technical Meeting, led by Chief Arbiter Marco Biagioli and tournament officials, where players, coaches, and accompanying persons received important information regarding tournament regulations, schedules, and playing conditions ahead of the competition.
Later in the day, participants gathered for the Opening Ceremony, which welcomed players from all continents. Several distinguished guests addressed the audience and officially welcomed participants to Montesilvano and to the championship.
Speeches were delivered by:
- GM Roberto Mogranzini, Tournament Director
- Luigi Maggi, President of the Italian Chess Federation
- Ozgur Solakoglu, FIDE Delegate
- Marco Biagioli, Chief Arbiter
- Ottavio De Martinis, Mayor of Montesilvano
- Adriano Tocco, City Council Member
The speakers highlighted the importance of youth chess, international friendship, fair play,
and the role of chess in connecting young people across cultures and nations.
A total of 758 players from 83 countries have arrived in Montesilvano to compete for world
titles across two main sections and three age categories:
Open Section: Under 14, Under 16, Under 18
Girls Section: Under 14, Under 16, Under 18
The host federation, Italy, fields the largest delegation with 65 participants. The championship also features an impressive number of titled players. Among the participants are 291 titled competitors, including:
- 2 Grandmasters (GM)
- 22 International Masters (IM)
- 14 Woman International Masters (WIM)
- and many other FIDE title holders.
The event is being played over 11 rounds using the classical time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by an additional 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment added from move one.
In addition to the main competition, participants will enjoy several side events throughout the championship. A football match is scheduled for 18 June, while a Blitz Tournament will take place on 20 June. Players will also have the opportunity to enjoy a free day on 21 June, featuring various recreational activities.
Following the Opening Ceremony, the first round got underway, with players eager to begin their quest for the coveted World Youth titles.
The opening day of the FIDE World Youth Chess Championship unfolded largely according to the ratings, with most top seeds across all categories securing comfortable victories. However, every section delivered a few surprises, as several lower-rated players produced impressive performances to either defeat or hold their higher-rated opponents to a draw, injecting early excitement into the race for the world titles.
In the Open Under-18 section, several interesting results were expected on the very first day. While most of the top seeds began their campaigns with victories, the biggest upset came on board ten, where England’s 74th seed, William Alexander Olsen, defeated Romania’s 10th seed and 2421-rated Vladimir-Alexandru Cnejev.
Top seed IM Filip Magold of Romania started with a win over Serbia’s Nikola Leskovac, while second seed GM Aksel Kvaloy of England defeated Austria’s Aron Schneider. On board three, FIDE’s IM Artem Pingin was held to a draw by fellow FIDE player and 67th seed Timur Checkanov.
In the Girls Under-18 section, all of the top ten seeds scored convincing victories. Top seed WIM Zarina Nurgaliyeva of Kazakhstan prevailed over Israel’s Michal Moscovitch. Second seed WFM Valeria Kleymenova of FIDE overcame Sri Lanka’s H. Sandithi Kusalya Alwis, while third seed Iren Lyutsinger of FIDE defeated Ananya Ananth of the United States.
In the Open Under-16 section, top seed IM Lukas Dotzer of Austria beat Daniel Ibanez Koblash of Spain, while second seed IM Felix-Antonio Ilinca of Romania started his campaign with a victory over Alberto Ganci of Italy.
Among the top ten boards, two games ended in draws. Third seed IM Sauat Nurgaliyev of Kazakhstan was held to a draw by 78th seed Zhu Pengxiao of England, while eighth seed FM Mykola Korchynskyi of Ukraine also split the point with 83rd seed Danail Jurgen Sergooris of Belgium.
In the Girls Under-16 section, the top seeds made a strong start to the championship. Top seed WIM Elnaz Kaliakhmet of Kazakhstan defeated WFM Rukiya Olimova of Uzbekistan, while second seed WIM Rachael Li of the United States scored a convincing victory over Valentina Neumeier of Germany. Third seed WFM Veranika Abramkina of FIDE also began with a win, overcoming Caissa Liduvina Galaviz Medina of Mexico.
The only draw on the top ten boards came on board nine, where Poland’s WIM Wiktoria Smietanska was held to a draw by her compatriot Maria Gora. Apart from that result, the leading contenders enjoyed a successful opening round as they began their quest for the world title.
In the Open Under-14 section, the top seeds also started impressively. Top seed and defending champion IM Mark Smirnov of Kazakhstan defeated Savvas Konstantinides of Cyprus, while second seed FM Alisher Abdsattar of Kazakhstan scored a victory over Lauritz Nissen Hellerud of Norway.
Among the top ten boards, three games ended in draws. Third seed FM Danis Kuandykuly of Kazakhstan was held by Deividas Ivanauskas of Lithuania; sixth seed FM Antoni Radzimski of Poland shared the point with Rodion Romanko of FIDE, while ninth seed FM Joachim Le Geay of France was held to a draw by Makar Berdashkevich of FIDE.
In the Girls Under-14 section, top seed WFM Sara Maria Sunea of Romania began her campaign with a victory over Mathilde Rath Vesterbaek of Denmark, while second seed WIM Laurie Qiu of the United States defeated Alima Omirserik of Kazakhstan.
The biggest upset on the top ten boards came on board four, where Amit Baruch of Israel defeated fourth seed WFM Christina Jordan of South Africa.
The only draw among the top ten boards occurred on board six, where Maya Sahin of Turkey held sixth seed Luomeng Wang of China to a draw.
Written by Pavel Dvorkovich & Niklesh Jain
Photos: Mark Livshits and Niklesh Jain
Official website: https://www.chessworldyouth.com/